theMouthPieceRelated Searches

The rules are that you can use 25 brass players (any combination) and as many perccusionists as the piece requires. We had a bit of an argument in Preston because we used six (you should actually have 7 but we fell short!) but were allowed to go on in the end. It is slighty rediculous as the parts are stupidly easy but there you go.

simple answer is as many as you can get signed in time! I think there will be few bands who make it on stage with the required 7 and some creative organisation will be needed by those who cant manage to get 6...but there was mention that an announcement had been made that for the yorkshire area bands can sign 6 percussionists for this piece so if you can get 'em...!!!!

The glock part is optional and can easily be missed out. It adds absolutely nothing to the music.

That leaves:

Timps
Snare
Bass Drum
Cym
Triangle

(5 players)

There is a snare drum roll near D on two drums but the 2nd drum is then tacet for the rest of the piece - that part can easily be played by either the bd, cym or tri player.

Click to expand...

Agreed, the glock part is optional but it does add something!! How can melodies that are intended for sop and glock not add something? If some bands do use a glock those that don't will stick out like a sore thumb. Also the snare drum part states 2 drums. I think it is rediculous scoring as the players have so little to do and I wish all bands the best of luck trying to find all the players, I'm struggling and that's trying all the music colleges in London!

The snare drum part is clearly for one player for the most part. Only the section at letter D is doubled; in his score Wagner makes the distinction quite clear by calling for 'Tamburo Militaire' and Tamburo Rollo' at this point and writing the parts on different lines of the stave. Elsewhere in the overture he notates the part on a single line.

We're going to cope with just the six players.

In the North of England region bands have been given the following instruction:

"At the begining of the score the Glockenspiel part is listed as 'optional'. It is expected that the part will be played by Championship Section Bands but no penalty will be imposed on a band which opts not to play it. The adjudicator for this section has agreed with this statement".

The glock part is optional and can easily be missed out. It adds absolutely nothing to the music.
.

Click to expand...

I dont believe that anything is optional if you are playing at the highest level. Having run the piece for the first time last night i would say that the glock is important and will be noticeable by its absence if bands choose to leave it out...which means you probably do need 6 players in some places (if my memory serves me right, and it probably doesnt, there is one place where timp, cym,bd,triangle, snare and glock play). brave decision to leave out any of the parts as they all stand out in their own way!

The problem is that there is just not enough percussionists around as many bands are finding out and the ones that are around are all asking for ridiculous amounts of money!!! I know that at the moment we only have 4 for the contest. I bet that even that will be pretty good going for some of the bands compteing within the next few weeks.

Having just listened to the Black Dyke CD recording (and I apologise in advance if I go on now to make some incorrect observations, as I don't have a copy of the score to hand) it would seem that Rienzi is playable by 4 percussionists;
1. Timpani
2. Side Drum (first plays at D) moving to Glock. for the section at G then back to Side Drum for J.
3. 2nd Side Drum (or Tenor Drum, as Wagner intended) moving to Bass Drum (which first plays, I think at J)
4. Triangle (first plays at H) then moving to Cymbals at the Molto Piu Stretto.

Of course, the allocation of parts to individual players is changable, to a point, and the omission of the Glock. makes it easier still.

This is, of course, taking into account that Black Dyke may have omitted some parts on the recording due to personnel? If anyone has a score and could clarify the feasibility of these moves, then do let us know!

At the ninth bar of N you need timps, SD, cym, BD, triangle and glock (ie six players) at the same time for 8 whole bars...but the glock is 'optional'.

D

Click to expand...

Ah right, in which case I take it all back! Like I said, I was only going by ear, though I think that Black Dyke omit the Glock. part there. 5 percussionists it is then if you choose to go without the Glock.